Tile with holes to serve as frames or supports



(No Model.)

J. G. LOW.

TILE WITH HOLES TO SERVE AS FRAMES 0R SUPPORTS No. 336,244.

Patented Feb. 16, 1886.

F g. i.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. LOWV, OF CHELSEA, MASSAOHUSETTS.

TILE WITH HOLES TO SERVE AS FRAMES OR SUPPORTS.

EPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,244, dated February16,1886.

Application filed October 20, 1885. Serial No. 180,419. (No model.) V

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN G. Low, ofChelsea, in the county ofSuffolk andState of Massach nsetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Tiles with Holes to Serve as Frames orSupports, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description,reference being bad to the accompanying drawingsjorming a part of thisspecification, in explaining its nature.

The invention relates to a tile having one or more holes or perforationsformed therein to extend entirely through the tile. It is desirable formany purposes to provide tiles with holes or perforations. So far as Iam aware, this has not been done, and principally for the reason thattiles have been almost entirely used for floors and wall decoration,which calls, of course, for tiles having but one finished or ornamentalsurface. I have conceived that the field for the use of tiles may beVery largely increased, and especially if they are provided with holesor perforations which shall enable them to be used as frames or supportsfor various articles. The uses to which tiles thus made can be put arevery many, and I have illustrated in the drawings the employment of thetile as a frame and support for a clock.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved tile.Fig. 2 is a Vertical central section thereof. Fig. 3 shows the tile usedas a support and frame for a clock, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section ofFig. 3.

A represents the tile. It has at least one ornamental surface 0., uponwhich is impressed or imprinted or otherwise provided any suitabledesignor ornamentation. It is provided with the hole a, which is formedtherein prior to the baking of the tile, by means substan- 4o tially asdescribed in my application for Letters Patent, improvement intile-making ma chines, of even date herewith; and the hole receives theclock B. It will thus be seen that the tile acts as a holder and supportfor the clock, and also furnishes an ornamental finish therefor. This isonly one of the many uses to which tiles thus provided with holes orperforations can be put.

In making the tile I use a die through which extend one or more plugs orposts having the shape of the holes which it is desired to form. Thetile dust is placed in the die about this post or these posts, and iscom pressed therein, the post or posts remaining in place. After thetile-dust has thus been compressed and solidified to shape, the post orparts are removed from the dies, or the dies from them, and the tilestripped or taken from the dies and finished by burning and glazing inthe ordinary manner; and I am thereby enabled to perforate the tileswhere desired and to form smoothly-finished holes, and at no expense, asthe holes are formed in the process of making the tile.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States- As an improved article ofmanufacture, a tile made of tile dust or material having one or moreholes or perforations formed therein, substantially as specified, allsubstantially as described.

JOHN G. LOV.

WVitnesses:

F. F. RAYMOND, 2d, FRED. B. DOLAN.

